A Critical Review on the “Relations of Television Viewing and Reading: Findings from a 4-Year Longitudinal Study
Introduction A lot of studies concerning television viewing impacts on students’ academic performance have been made, but there are still questions related to this that are needed to be answered. To bring more clarifications in this aspect, Marco Ennemoser and Wolfgang Scheider conducted the study entitled “Relations of Television Viewing and Reading: Findings From a 4-Year Longitudinal Study”. As stated in the article, the study aims to determine the long-term effects of television viewing on the development of children’s reading competencies. After conducting scientific processes and methods among German children, the researchers were able to conclude that television viewing has a negative effect on students’ reading skills. The article was generally informative and reliable. There were some technical errors in the writing procedure, but the study itself was a success.
Summary On the first part of the article, the researchers discussed four inhibition hypotheses which plausibly explain how television viewing may hinder one’s reading development. These inhibition hypotheses are:
1. Displacement hypothesis – reading time may be displaced by television watching.
2. Passivity hypothesis – low mental effort in television watching may anchor reduced effort in reading and writing.
3. Concentration Deterioration hypothesis – television’s rapid changes in context and pacing may cause children’s inability to concentrate on a task.
4. Reading Depreciation hypothesis – Students’ motivation in investing energy in learning may diminish due to pleasant experiences with television.
After discussing these hypotheses, the researchers enlighten up the positive side by referring to facilitation hypothesis. This hypothesis views television as a facilitator to one’s reading development. Then, other factors affecting children’s intellectual ability such as IQ and SES were discussed.
Methodological problems among previous studies explaining relationship between television
Summary On the first part of the article, the researchers discussed four inhibition hypotheses which plausibly explain how television viewing may hinder one’s reading development. These inhibition hypotheses are:
1. Displacement hypothesis – reading time may be displaced by television watching.
2. Passivity hypothesis – low mental effort in television watching may anchor reduced effort in reading and writing.
3. Concentration Deterioration hypothesis – television’s rapid changes in context and pacing may cause children’s inability to concentrate on a task.
4. Reading Depreciation hypothesis – Students’ motivation in investing energy in learning may diminish due to pleasant experiences with television.
After discussing these hypotheses, the researchers enlighten up the positive side by referring to facilitation hypothesis. This hypothesis views television as a facilitator to one’s reading development. Then, other factors affecting children’s intellectual ability such as IQ and SES were discussed.
Methodological problems among previous studies explaining relationship between television